sticksandbones | EVENT & TDM 012

EVENT & TDM 012

IT'S GONNA BE MAY

WAKE UP

You open your eyes, and with a jolt, find yourself within the clearing of a miniscule town surrounded by trees and thick, black fog. Despite the ominous backdrop, nature seems to be thriving — it’s a pleasantly chill spring day, as far as anyone can tell, and everything is vibrant and blooming… even some of the animals. At some point, a friendly old dog with red fur approaches, carrying a basket in his jaws. Inside are blackberries and apples other fruits. Did he find this himself? Or did someone give them to him to bring to new arrivals? Regardless, he very clearly hopes that you’ll share.

A giant golden brown turtle sits by a tent, napping in the sunlight. Two statues sit in the courtyard by an old well — a haloed woman marked as the Goddess of the Sun, Beiwe, and a gentle woman looking adoringly at her counterpart, marked as the Goddess of the Moon, Ourania. If you pay your respects, the air feels gentle and warm in the day, and like a fresh cool breeze at night.

As you explore more, perhaps the bloomed animals will approach — a mossy squirrel, or a frog who happens to also be a lilypad. It’s charming, almost. Whimsical and kind.

Shame that the wall of fog looms ever on, watching. Waiting.

SHINING, SHIMMERING, SPLENDID

cw: hallucinations, compulsions, near-death experiences

For a while, spring seems gentle, almost. Peaceful. The previous month may have been full of jokes, but things are actually safe. Of course, that can’t last forever. Every night, a purple, shimmering mist floods the town. It does not breach the doors and windows, even if left open, but looking at it is… enticing.

Should you give in, the mist is cool and gentle, swaying around you like smoke. The longer you stay in, the more your eyes feel blissfully heavy. Soon, you find yourself surrounded by loved ones, in a place that brings you joy — a childhood home, a vacation spot, some place warm and safe and dear to your heart. Everyone is playing and having so much fun. Join them! Join them!

Of course, by the time you do jump into the fun, you’ll find yourself awakened with a start, just about to fall into danger. Perhaps you climbed a tree and were about to leap to the ground from too high up. Or maybe you stuck your head in the river and your lungs were about to empty. Regardless, the happy dream shatters with imminent danger, and perhaps you’d better hope that someone else is nearby to help you. … Especially since with each night you give in, the more enticing the mist is the next night.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

At some point, the mist is forcibly dissipated and instead the moon shines brightly, almost like a spotlight. Investigation will reveal an absurdly large capybara that seems more like a vehicle than an animal, even with the jasmine flowers hanging off of it, siting down with the ‘door’ accessible to anyone willing to climb in.

“Come with me, and I will bring you to a night of festivities.” is all that it says when asked. And it knows that you will — you’re all curious as kittens, after all. Once the last person takes a fuzzy seat within the capybara, it slowly stands up and begins walking through the woods, and for the first time, everything seems peaceful. Normal, even. Why, there’s not even a monster or misshapen, grabby tree! Just a moonlit forest, and fireflies in the distance.

Eventually it brings you to a small but beautiful cabin, crouching down to let everyone out again. Outside is a layer of marble surrounded by pillars decorated with sheer fabrics and an abundance of lilies and calendula, jasmine and marigolds, hydrangeas and gladiolus. A buffet table has also been spread out, and within the cabin are changing rooms with a multitude of ornate gowns and suits, alongside sitting rooms and other potential necessities — though you get the feeling that you should still be on your best behavior here.

Gentle music plays from an unknown source. The capybara is resting, until it’s time to leave come sunrise. For one night, everything is at peace. You may as well enjoy it, and dance to your heart’s content.

SPARK NOTES

CLICK TO EXPAND!

WAKE UP

Welcome to Aldric's Grove! The fog wall is a little creepy, but worry not: A dog has brought you a snack, and the plant-bearing wildlife are pretty friendly. If you've been here for a while, no worry: You, too, are getting a basket of treats from the dog.

SHINING, SHIMMERING, SPLENDID

A purple mist fills the Grove at night, and stepping into it makes you experience a euphoric dream... shortly before you wake up because you nearly walked into death. Be careful, because the mists are addicting, and you may not have an easy time avoiding their temptation the following nights.

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY

For one night, the mists clear up and peace settles over the forest. A giant capybara gleefully takes everyone to the site of a grand dance, where the clothing and food are all free, and the music swells with joy. Dance your hearts out until dawn breaks, and then the capybara will take you back home.

OOC

Happy May! This is a reminder that TDMs are game canon. Enjoy your dreams, enjoy your prom night, enjoy the capybara. OOC Plotting Lives Here if you'd like to plot anything out!

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Oh, humanitarian stuff?

[ Zazie knows what that is, some scientists claimed they were doing it back home. You know, make the world better, yadda yadda. ]

No, meat worms.

[ It's not hard to call one of the babies from out of the ground, so the Cookie lady can see. It looks very much like a... well, probably nothing she's seen. The baby is about the size of her fist, with six tiny beady black eyes that squint in the light, tiny antennae that wiggle around, and only six legs with a teeny nub of a tail that has soft little round bumps that will be spikes when it gets older, and plates that fan out like a flower. The front legs are more preying mantis like with the bell fin on it, and it uses them to hide it's tiny eyes. It's very ball like yet, with not many segments.

Zazie is handling it very careful. It is a baby. ]

Edited 2024-06-26 21:50 (UTC)

Um, yeah! I don’t really know how it works, actually? Like… space, I mean. Here, specifically. Space back home was different. We had galaxies and stuff, too. We came from beyond the stars, even. But here it doesn’t seem to work like that? This world might be some kinda enclosed dimension or somethin’.

I simply think these false dreams are leading people to an ending they don't deserve. I prefer to help people find their happy endings in their own ways, unlike the mists.

[She reaches for her cello and plucks a single note.]

It would be a shame if these dreams led to death, after all. May I ask... what you dreamt about?

[it's totally normal to imply that the dream ending would have killed him, and then say you also want people to find their endings. so normal!

fortunately, livio has no concept of "normal."]

... About us being in a safer place than this. [summarily, at least.]

[Yeah well!! Too bad he's been here long enough to know that was fucking weird what just happened, and also he's not stupid-]

And you just happened t'be there, huh??

Enclosed dimension... Like the other plane Knives was always going on about?

[ That would explain some things. Zazie doesn't know what that stuff looks like, obviously. But power right? ]

Huh! That makes sense!

[Hm. This guy seems a little unstable. He realizes that perhaps he might be in some trouble.]

[Dipper scoots back and gets to his feet, putting out his hands so Wolfwood can see them. He's going to try and seem nonthreatening, but. Well. Dipper does have a gun for a reason.]

I mean, it's a pretty small town and I know a sleepwalker when I see one, so I followed after you to make sure you didn't get hurt.

[That part isn't a lie, at least.]

Interesting question! I'd have to know what Witches are like in your dimension, since the definition tends to vary across worlds. My boyfriend's home world has a Witch that is impossible to kill and has been raising horrible emotion-sensitive monsters to ravage the world for centuries. Or, my home world has a witch who lives in a cave and steals peoples hands and keeps them as pets. That's the scale we're working with here.

[Man, it's fun to just ramble off some of the most off the wall shit and not be worried about sounding crazy for once. He wonders what this says about him.]

Y...Yes, probably. You guys have jam instead of blood? Is it like- [Looooooong pause.] Edible? Does it taste like fruit?

Oho, you know...

[Timekeeper glances about them as if to check and make sure no one else is nearby, then leans in conspiratorially]

Do not tell the other cookies this, but there are many different kinds of Witches in our world, too! Or there were, once. Most only know that they created us Cookies... which is true. Suffice to say, many Cookies see them as gods. Quite funny, isn't it?

[Dipper is a bit lucky to be talking to one of the VERY few cookies who actually knows a thing or two about humans and Witches... because she watches the timelines of her world like it's her own personal Netflix channel.

Also no she's not going to elaborate if the Witches of her world are more on the "horrible world ravaging monster" or "weird old lady with questionable magical hobbies" end of the scale.

She will, however, lean back again and hum in amusement at Dipper's question.]

Certainly, though some Cookies might find it more edible than others! There is a Vampire Cookie, in fact. Most Cookies have strawberry jam, though there are exceptions now and then.

[He leans in and ...oh man, did he just get some forbidden cookie lore? Awesome. It does physically pain him to know he can't tell anyone, though. Such is his heavy burden. He will make sure to write that bit in his journal in invisible ink.]

More like super interesting. If that's the case, The Pthumerians are more like witches. They have a lot of different kinds of powers and take different forms, but some of them are considered "Patrons" of specific concepts and are regarded like mini-deities. For example, Mariana was my patron, and she was the patron of the unknown, chaos, and the ocean. Moss King was the patron of gambling so that should give you an idea of his deal.

Anyway, it's hard to say what their true natures were, but the people of Trench regarded them as gods and that sort of intent has it's own influence, you know? I imagine it's the same for the witches. Whether or not they know they get regarded as such probably doesn't mean anything to them, but their influence on those that do becomes it's own thing.

[TK you keep letting him talk and now he will never shut up about some of the most deranged metaphysical shit.]

Interesting. Sleepers have a couple different blood types, and you might be interested to know that my uncle's bloodtype notoriously tastes like blackberries. I wonder how similar a blackberry jam would be to darkblood.

umm, maybe! [ He didn't get to talk to Nai that much, really. ] This is just a theory, of course. I can't confirm if the world is really like that or anything. I don't know how you'd even test something like that?

[Here's an additional secret: she doesn't actually care if he tells anyone or not. This is just her way of seeing what kind of secret keeper he is! Also no keep going about the deranged metaphysical shit this is ~~funny~~ fascinating.]

Compared to some Witches, those affinities are certainly clear-cut! You are quite wise on these things, yet young for a human, aren't you? Hehe. Perhaps you should ask the other cookies about Witches, sometime.

[Timekeeper is betting Dipper hasn't heard a few things about them that she's not about to spill - because it'd be funnier coming from others, and also more entertaining to watch.]

That, I do not know! Perhaps if you ever meet Blackberry Cookie you can find out? She is surprisingly tolerant of the morbid, after all! Now, you've left me curious about your own blood...

Haha, is it gonna freak ‘em out?

[Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. Maybe it will sit in his back pocket for a while.]

Anyway, I might be young, but I have seen an enormous amount of nonsense. Calling me human is also a little iffy, too. Not when the normal humans in Trench used to form cults around Sleepers. [Speaking oh which, Dipper reaches into his pocket and pulls out what looks like a very ornate pocket knife. He flips it open and without flinching cuts into his finger. The moment the blood is in view of the moon, it shifts into a bright glowing white. The smell is also …sort of like warm milk? Very strange.]

Sure thing. Mine’s called Paleblood, it glows in the dark and can induce hallucinations if you get too close.

Edited 2024-06-30 00:44 (UTC)

Maybe! Maybe not! Maybe they have something more interesting to say than I do!

[That's fine by her. A bit of time is nothing when it comes to an entertaining payoff!

Also wow he sure just did that didn't he. Unfortunately, Timekeeper is not the type to see this and ask if someone's okay. "A little fucked up" is kind of her baseline, so, you know. That's normal! She does lean towards the glowing bead of blood on Dipper's finger, despite JUST being told what it does - not too close, but still.]

Oh! I suppose if a Cookie's jam began doing that, you would struggle to still call them a Cookie as well. And there have certainly been, and are, and will be cookies who straddle that line!

[Smells like milk? She's literally a baked good, that doesn't clock as weird, she hardly even notices it. Look, she doesn't know what human blood normally smells like ok, she might guess cherry or something if she saw it first.]

Speaking of that... what do you think of the other Cookies here?

[Yes, he sees now. That is a loaded topic for sure. Fine, he will keep that in his back pocket for now. He raises an eyebrow but he sees someone being mischievous for The Bit for what it is.]

[Yeah, anyway, welcome to being from Trench. One simply needs to access blood all the time, so why wouldn't Dipper, who studies blood magic regularly, not keep an instrument on his person for exactly that reason? And because wasting blood is pretty taboo there, once Timekeeper gets a good look, Dipper wipes that blood on the flat of his blade. With a practiced hand, he pulls out a small vile to collect it.] Humanity, or I guess, Cookity, can be pretty relative in the grand scheme of things. Especially once you start crossing worlds.

[He often wonders what that version of him might think if he ever met him. That one that's still in Piedmont, living out his normal life.]

The others? I've met most of them, I think, and they all seem pretty cool. Why? Is there a specific one you're curious about?

Hm. If it has, it hasn't hit me yet.

[Sparkling readjusts to give Beat room, sitting up just as he sits down. Cheesecake, unsurprisingly, darts over and tries to throw herself into Beat's lap.]

It sounds ghastly. I'm sorry you've been having to deal with that.

[And...he's not looking forward to having to deal with it himself, either. He isn't even going to know how bad it is until it actually happens to him.]

That ain't what I meant! You were in the dream! Like, I saw you!

[Points at him as if Dipper wasn't very aware that he was, in fact, there-]

Oho, not particularly. If they are a Cookie, I likely already know most everything about them. Unless, of course, they happen to have been through strange timelines beyond my notice, not unlike you!

[Her smile widens, and she taps a finger to her chin.]

But what a non-Cookie thinks of us, that is far more interesting!

I hope it don't ever.

[ He grins and gladly takes Cheesecake onto his lap, curling his laps so she can curl up there, as he gently pets one ear.

Then shrugs one shoulder, shaking his head. ]

You can... kinda ignore it? S'long as you keep yerself well fed. Like, I used to be able to go once a month widdout needin' human, so long as I could chase someone down with it. But I get handed it like it's jus' a normal meal an' I can't chase, ya know?

[Oh boy. He did not realize how uh. How hair-trigger this guy was. He didn't seem like that in the dream, so maybe that nightmare really got to him. He is scrambling for what he should do.]

[He can keep trying to lie to him, he guesses, and see if he eventually buys it ...or he can try and explain and look even worse.]

Okay. Okay. I'll explain, but it's going to sound crazy and also you have to believe me when I tell you I really was trying to keep you from taking a dive in the river.

[Dipper motions vaguely in that direction, while keeping on hand out in front of him.]

You can probably find foot prints there and everything.

Oh! You want an outside perspective, got it.

[Hmmmm. He thinks a little.

We're gonna fuck the timeline a little here because I guess technically this should happen before he meets most of them but that's a boring answer.]

There is a lot about your world I find interesting. It sounds like there's a lot of magic and mystery present there, and the people from it, every one I've met, have been really interesting for different reasons. It's definitely a place I'd like to visit sometime. The different kinds of magic alone would make that trip.

I do feel kind of bad about them all dealing with humanoid bodies suddenly. I think one of them straight up told me he'd never had fingers before. Crazy. I think I'm still getting to know everyone so I can't get you anything more detailed than that. Just know that I am keeping a close eye on everyone for my own notes.

[Oh she is soooo happy. She will now become flat in his lap.]

That makes sense. You can't...hunt, as it were.

[And he's really not sure what the solution to that is. He highly doubts anyone is going to want to volunteer to be hunted in that way.]

Have you tried, er...hunting in the forest? Not other humans, but animals?

[Oh Dipper I am so sorry for your poor introduction to Wolfwood because his life at the Orphanage was nothing like how he drags himself through life nowadays. He is much older, much more bitter, and much more suspicious of weird happenings, like what he just now witnessed.

His gaze narrows, and for a moment he considers getting up to look, but...no, better to keep asking questions.]

Okay, fine. But why did I see you in my dream?

"Hmm. In that case, I'll see what I can do. There is a time manipulator here I know of. But if I am able to, I assume I'll have your assistance?"

"Yes, you will have it. I shall supervise the work you do, and I shall assist where my abilities allow."

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EVENT & TDM 012

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hi i didn't forget about this shhhhh

YOU ARE A BUSY WOLFIE IT'S OTAY

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ignore how old this is I need it for AC reasons-

good news u can ignore this too i'm just replying for good measure-